- Hard money and private lenders side by side
- Ten private lenders for property investors
- Short-term rehab money or a long-term rental loan?
- Four loan types that hide behind one search
- Seven questions to put to a lender before you apply
- Where the lender fits in the rest of the deal
- My plain advice before you approach a hard money lender
- Frequently asked questions
A hard money lender is a private, non-bank lender that funds real estate investment deals, most often short-term loans to buy and renovate a property. Most of the lenders below also sell long-term rental and new construction loans, so work out which programme you need first. Ten US lenders follow, in no particular order.
Search for hard money and you'll get a page of lenders who all seem to sell the same thing. They don't. Some lead with short-term flip money, some with rental loans and some with ground-up construction, and the brand name rarely tells you which.
The ten lenders below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order. Every description comes from each lender's own website, as of Nov 2026. I've left loan terms out on purpose: they change by deal, property and state, so the only reliable place to read them is the lender's own site.
Hard money and private lenders side by side
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Anchor Loans | Builder and investor lender | Lending for builders, from single units to communities |
| CIVIC | Real estate investor lender | Lending for real estate investors and borrowers |
| CoreVest | Rental, bridge and construction lender | Rental, bridge, construction and multifamily loans |
| Easy Street Capital | Private real estate lender | Fix and flip, DSCR and new construction loans |
| Express Capital Financing | Direct real estate lender | Fix and flip, DSCR and ground-up construction |
| Kiavi | Online investor lender | Bridge, rental and new construction loans online |
| LendingOne | Investor loan provider | DSCR, flips, build to rent and portfolio loans |
| Lima One Capital | Private money lender | Loans shaped around each investment strategy |
| New Silver | Direct hard money lender | Private hard money loans with an online start |
| RCN Capital | Nationwide investor lender | Short-term rehab loans and long-term rental loans |
Ten private lenders for property investors
Anchor Loans
Best for: Builders and investors financing anything from a single-unit project to a large-scale community, from a lender that calls itself a one-stop real estate lending provider.
CIVIC
Best for: Real estate investors who want a lender that describes its lending as simple, honest and reliable.
CoreVest
Best for: Anyone moving from a first flip to a whole rental portfolio, since its page says its loans stay with you as your goals change.
Easy Street Capital
Best for: Flippers and landlords who want fix-and-flip, DSCR rental and new construction loans from one lender, with in-house servicing and an investor toolkit on its page.
Express Capital Financing
Best for: Renovators who'd like one loan officer from application to close, across fix and flip, DSCR and ground-up construction programmes from a direct lender.
Kiavi
Best for: Investors flipping, renting or building who want a technology-led lender, and its page says it qualifies the property rather than your W2.
LendingOne
Best for: Landlords who own or plan several rentals, since the page lists build to rent and single-family rental portfolio loans beside DSCR and fix and flip.
Lima One Capital
Best for: Borrowers who'd rather talk a deal through, as its page offers custom solutions for every investment strategy and a team of experts to call.
New Silver
Best for: Investors who want to start online, as its page offers an online approval step and a proof of funds letter from a direct hard money lender.
RCN Capital
Best for: Buyers of non-owner-occupied property to renovate who may later want a long-term rental loan from the same lender.
Short-term rehab money or a long-term rental loan?
Hard money is only one of the loan types these lenders sell, and their own pages split it differently. Here's how each one describes what it does.
Leading with short-term and rehab loans. New Silver describes itself as a direct lender offering private hard money loans, with an online approval step. Easy Street Capital's page lists three core programmes: fix and flip, DSCR rental and new construction. Express Capital Financing names fix and flip, DSCR and ground-up construction programmes. RCN Capital's page describes short-term financing for the purchase and rehab of non-owner-occupied properties, plus long-term rental loans. Anchor Loans pitches tailored lending to builders and investors, from single-unit projects to large-scale communities.
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A wider spread of programmes. Kiavi says it provides bridge, rental and new construction loans. LendingOne's page lists DSCR rental, fix and flip, new construction, build to rent and single-family rental portfolio loans. CoreVest lists rental, bridge, construction and multifamily loans. Lima One Capital's page notes that it lends within the USA only, and CIVIC's page speaks to investors as well as borrowers.
So the useful question is which programme you need, short-term rehab money or a long-term rental loan, not which brand sounds most like hard money. Terms, availability by state and eligibility come from each lender, for each property, so read them on the lender's own site before you go any further.
Four loan types that hide behind one search
- Fix and flip or bridge loans. Short-term money to buy, and often renovate, a property you don't live in, cleared when you sell or refinance. This is what most people mean by hard money.
- DSCR rental loans. Longer-term loans for rental property. DSCR stands for debt service coverage ratio, and it's a way of asking whether the rent covers the loan repayments.
- New construction or ground-up loans. Money to build on a plot rather than renovate an existing home, usually released in stages as the build goes up.
- Build to rent and portfolio loans. Finance for investors building homes to let, or for several rental properties held under one loan.
Seven questions to put to a lender before you apply
- Which of your programmes fits this deal: short-term rehab, bridge, rental or construction?
- Do you lend in the state where the property is?
- Is the loan for non-owner-occupied investment property only?
- What decides eligibility: the property, my experience, or both?
- Who services the loan once it closes, you or a third party?
- How are renovation or construction draws released?
- Can I move from a short-term loan into a rental loan with you later?
Where the lender fits in the rest of the deal
A lender comes in fairly late. Finding the property, tracing the owner and running the numbers all happen first. My lists of real estate investing software and skip tracing software cover those steps, and the CRM for real estate investors roundup covers keeping track of sellers and deals once the leads start coming in.
Do you make real estate investor financing? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice before you approach a hard money lender
Work out the programme before the brand. If you're buying a wreck to renovate and sell, you're looking for short-term rehab money; if you're keeping it as a rental, a DSCR or rental loan is the conversation to have. Then shortlist two or three lenders whose own pages lead with that programme, check they lend in your state, and read their terms in full before you sign anything.
This isn't financial advice, and nothing here says any lender will lend to you. Your own adviser or broker is the person to ask about your situation.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a hard money lender?
It's a private, non-bank lender that funds real estate investment deals, usually short-term loans secured on the property being bought. Many of the lenders here also offer long-term rental and construction loans.
What's the difference between a hard money loan and a DSCR loan?
A hard money loan is usually short-term money to buy and renovate. A DSCR loan is a longer-term rental loan where the lender looks at whether the property's rent covers the repayments.
Is a hard money loan the same as a bridge loan?
They overlap. A bridge loan is short-term money that bridges a gap, such as buying before you refinance, and several lenders here sell bridge and fix and flip loans side by side.
Can I use a hard money loan to buy my own home?
The pages here describe loans for investment or non-owner-occupied property, so check each lender's own eligibility rules before you assume a home purchase is covered.
Do hard money lenders lend in every state?
Not always. Availability depends on the lender and the state, and at least one lender here says it lends within the USA only, so check the lender's own list of states.
How should I compare hard money lenders?
Start with the programme you need, then the states each lender covers, then read each lender's terms, eligibility rules and servicing details on its own site. Compare like for like, not brand names.
